Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-11-17
CUNNING FOR PICTURES.
An Interesting Invention with Widespread
ing Promises.

An Interesting Invention with Widespread
ing Promises.
Amateur photography has made an
other long stride forward. A new in
vention was displayed at the meeting
of the New York society. whose wide
spread results can scarcely be con-
jectured. By means of it photographs
will henceforth be taken as easily and
accurately at night as in the daytime,
and the photographer will, in the black.
est darkness, be able to literally take
an unerring shot at his subject with
photographing gun.
Hitherto the only means of photo
graphing at night have been by the
means of the kerosene, calcium or
electric lights. All of these demanded
more or less paraphernalia and were
not portable to any available degree.
Magnesium wire, when burned, was
known to produce a light of strong
actinic quality, and lamp has been
devised with which to burn it for pho
Geographic purposes. 1t was not n salts
factory light, however, as it was un-
steady and liable to go out From
magnesium, however, DR.. n. G. Piffard
has devised exactly the thing desired.
1t consists in powdered magnesium
spread upon guncotton. The ignition
of the guncotton furnishes the heat
necessary to set fire to the magnesium
and the result is brilliant flash, pow
erful enough to sufficiently expose the
plate and easily available under any
circumstances. The photograph is in
4 4 a
Il German powder invented for the
purpose, stating that while its light
effects were excellent its very explosive
quality made it dangerous article
either to handle or have about. He
next discussed and exhibited mixture
of four parts of gunpowder and one
part of magnesium, which, when
flashed, answered the purpose
desired. 1t was neither as con-
venient nor effective, however,
as the guncotton combination. After
burning samples of these and showing
their effects, he fired a cartridge of
magnesium and gunpowder from an
ordinary revolver, showing that the
flash was quite sufficient for an instan-
taneous photograph. He then pro-
ceeded to darken the room and to pho
tograph Mr. Robert Roosevelt. The
camera was adjusted, and as the cap
was removed the doctor touched
match to a small piece of powdered
cotton. The light flashed in the dark
ness, and when some minutes later the
developed plate appeared, an excellent
negative of Mr.. Roosevelt was the re.
suit. Several portraits, taken the night
before, were exhibited. and the prac-
tical value of the invention WAS indis-
putably established.
The result will be that the amateur
photographer will henceforth go a-gun-
ming in the darkness and lay out on a
plate every thing he may choose to
shoot at. The camera will be fitted to
a pistol barrel or the pistol barrel to
the camera, and cooking the weapon
will expose the plate. AS soon as the
weapon is aimed the flash from the
muzzle will instantly serve to photo
graph the object, and the game will be
securely bagged in a moment. The
fleeing thief, the expression of man
who treads upon the Unforeseen carpet
tack, as we'll as that of the husband out
late who is trying to assume an ex-
preston of Indifferent sobriety before
he lights the domestic gas, will now
adorn the albums, where they have
hitherto been unknown. The inven-
ton is valuable commercially, one pho
tographer stating that he had con-
Guided to make use of it in his gallery
as soon as the winter sunlight began
to weaken early in the afternoon. 1t
will also greatly widen the fields of
amusement and experiment which
have attracted so many thousands to
amateur photography.-M 7. Times.